
THE 2023 HUMANS TO MARS SUMMIT
May 16-18, 2023
The National Academy of Sciences Building
Washington D.C.
Do you want to see humans on the surface of Mars by the mid-2030s?
If so, join us at Explore Mars, Inc.’s annual conference, the 2023 Humans to Mars Summit (H2M) that will take place on May 16-18, 2023 at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C. This event is already shaping up to be the largest H2M yet.
We expect hundreds of people to attend, and our conference will feature many luminaries, including senior NASA, industry/commercial, and international leaders, as well as innovators, policy experts and elected officials, STEM professionals, artists and musicians, members of the entertainment community, and many others.
We will welcome back our MCs, Mat Kaplan (Planetary Radio Host) and Beth Mund (Casual Space Host)
“It is time for the space community to inject a sense of urgency into our common goal of sending humans to Mars,” stated Explore Mars CEO Chris Carberry. “H2M 2023 will not only highlight the steps that need to be taken to assure that NASA, industry, Congress and the Administration, and international partners will do what is necessary in order to achieve this goal by the mid-2030s, but also how we can inspire and harness non-traditional business and other players to become our partners in this effort.”
This event has been deemed by NASA's Agency Counsel for Ethics to be a Widely Attended Gathering (WAG) to which invited NASA employees and a guest may attend without further formality.
Some of the initial H2M 2023 broad areas of discussion include:




Agenda
May 16, 2023 | Day 1
Progress Toward Mars
7:45-8:30am ET | Registration/Coffee and Danish
8:30-8:40am ET | Welcome to Day 1 of the 2023 Humans to Mars Summit
- Janet Ivey (Explore Mars, Inc. | President)
- Chris Carberry (Explore Mars, Inc. | CEO)
8:40-9:10am ET | Fireside Chat with NASA Associate Administrator, Robert Cabana
- Facilitator: Rich Cooper (The Space Foundation | Vice President, Strategic Communications & Outreach)
- Robert Cabana (NASA | Associate Administrator)
9:10-10:05am ET | Artemis III to Mars: How will Lunar surface missions advance humans to Mars?
- Moderator: Beth Mund (Casual Space | Host)
- Masaki Fujimoto (JAXA | Deputy Director General of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences)
- Shatel Bhakta (NASA | ESDMD Strategy & Architecture Office, Lunar Architecture Team Lead)
- Ben Tatman (Advanced Space | Senior Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation Engineer, Section & Project Lead)
- Joe Cassady (Aerojet Rocketdyne | Exec. Director, Space)
- Nicholas Cummings (SpaceX | Senior Director, Program Development, Civil and National Security Space)
10:05-10:35am ET | Networking Break
10:35-11:25am ET | DRACO Program – Nuclear Propulsion
- Moderator: Dr. Bhavya Lal (NASA | Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy)
- Dr. Tabitha Dodson (DARPA | DRACO Program Manager)
- Anthony Calomino (NASA | STMD, Space Nuclear Technology Portfolio Manager)
11:25-11:35am ET | How Space Debris Could Prevent Mission To Mars
- Brian Bartelo (Student | The Mars Generation)
11:35-12:30pm ET | Mars Science Precursors and Objectives
- Moderator: Jim Green (NASA | Chief Scientist, Retired)
- Lori S. Glaze (NASA | Director, Planetary Science Division)
- Albert Haldemann (ESA – ESTEC | Mars Chief Engineer, Mars Exploration Group)
- Masaki Fujimoto (JAXA | Deputy Director General of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences)
12:30-2:00pm | Lunch break
2:00-2:20pm ET | The Power of Inclusion: Advancing the goal of humans on Mars by empowering underserved communities through analogs and space camps
- Mac Malkawi (Borderless Labs Inc. | Founder and President)
- Salam Abulhaija (Borderless Labs Inc (BLINC) | Science Communicator)
2:20-2:50pm ET | Industry Leadership Perspective: The Future of Space
- Salvatore T. "Tory" Bruno (ULA | President and Chief Executive Officer)
2:50-3:10pm ET | Networking Break
3:10-4:00pm ET | Artemis Accords: An International Campaign to the Moon and Mars
- Moderator: Mike Gold (Redwire | Chief Growth Officer)
- Masami Onoda (JAXA | Director, Washington D.C. Office)
- Valda Vikmanis-Keller (U.S. State Department | Director, Office of Space Affairs, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs)
- Aniello Violetti (Embassy of Italy | Space Attaché)
- Gabriel Swiney (NASA | Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy)
4:00-4:15pm ET | Explore Mars: Who Are We/Awards ceremony – including Mars Innovation Challenge Winner Announcement
4:15-4:30pm ET | Charity Weeden (Astroscale | Vice President of Global Space Policy and Government Relations)
- Charity Weeden (Astroscale | Vice President of Global Space Policy and Government Relations)
4:30-5:20pm ET | NASA Objectives: What Next? Fireside chat
- Moderator: Jeff Foust (Space News | Senior Staff Writer)
- Dr. Bhavya Lal (NASA | Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy)
- Dr. Kurt (Spuds) Vogel (NASA | Director of Space Architectures, Office of the Administrator)
5:30-7:00pm ET | Onsite Reception featuring an exclusive Ardbeg tasting (Separate Registration Required)
- Salvatore T. "Tory" Bruno (ULA | President and Chief Executive Officer)
- David Blackmore (Ardbeg | Global Brand Ambassador)
7:00-8:30pm ET | Screening of Alcohol in Space Documentary and Panel discussion
- Moderator: Beth Mund (Casual Space | Host)
- Chris Carberry (Explore Mars, Inc., CEO | Author, Alcohol in Space)
- Sam Burbank (Culture in Space Productions | Founder & Filmmaker)
- David Blackmore (Ardbeg | Global Brand Ambassador)
- Colleen McLeod Garner (Casa Azul | Director of Sales - West)
May 17, 2023 | Day 2
Opportunities and Challenges
7:45-8:30am ET | Registration/Coffee and Danish
8:30-8:40am ET | Welcome to Day 2 of the 2023 Humans to Mars Summit
- Janet Ivey (Explore Mars, Inc. | President)
- Chris Carberry (Explore Mars, Inc. | CEO)
8:40-9:25am ET | Mars in 2033: Is it still possible?
- Moderator: Beth Mund (Casual Space | Host)
- Hoppy Price (NASA JPL | Mars Orbital Mission 2033)
- Jancy McPhee (NASA | Human Research Program, Associate Chief Scientist)
- Matt Duggan (Boeing | Mission Management & Operations Manager)
- Phill Hattis (Draper Labs | Laboratory Fellow)
9:25-9:40am ET | NOW MORE THAN EVER, SPACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
- Rich Cooper (The Space Foundation | Vice President, Strategic Communications & Outreach)
9:40-10:30am ET | NASA Directorate Collaboration to Mars: Associate Administrators panel
- Moderator: Mat Kaplan (The Planetary Society | Senior Communications Adviser)
- Dr. Nicola Fox (NASA | Associate Administrator, SMD)
- James Free (NASA | Associate Administrator, ESDMD)
- James Reuter (NASA | Associate Administrator, STMD)
10:30-11:00am ET | Networking Break
11:00-11:40am ET | Planetary Protection: Creating a sensible planetary protection policy.
- Moderator: Mary Engola (Aerojet Rocketdyne | Sr. Manager, Space Communications)
- Dr. J. Nick Benardini (NASA | Planetary Protection Officer)
- Mike Gold (Redwire | Executive Vice President for Civil and External Affairs)
11:40-12:30pm ET | Accessibility in Space
- Moderator: Dr. Sheyna Gifford (Preventive and Occupational Medicine, Medical Operations | Disability Rights and Inclusion in Aerospace)
- Dana Bolles (NASA HQ | External Information Technology Lead ; AstroAccess Ambassador)
- Dwayne Fernandes (Minds At Play | Ambassador of Amazement)
- John D. Kemp (Lakeshore Foundation | President & CEO; Author | Disability Friendly: How to Move From Clueless to Inclusive)
- Sheila Xu (AstroAccess | Deputy Director of Development; Aspiring Deaf Astronaut)
- Lucas Radaelli (AstroAccess | Ambassador; Google | Senior Software Engineer)
12:30-2:00pm ET | Speaker Lunch: Author | For the Love of Mars, Dr. Matt Shindell (Separate Registration Required)
- Dr. Matt Shindell (National Air and Space Museum | Space History Curator; Author | For the Love of Mars)
Parallel Sessions: 2:00-5:30
Session 1 | MAIN AUDITORIUM | Building Sustainability
2:00-3:15pm ET | Habitation on the Moon and Mars
- Moderator: Mike Fuller (Northrop Grumman | Programs, Director)
- Danny Harris (NASA | Habitation Concepts, ESDMD Strategy & Architecture Manager, Habitation Systems Development Office/HP40)
- Eleanor Morgan (Lockheed Martin | Program Manager & Space Habitation Architecture Lead)
- Michael Elsperman (Boeing | Director of Exploration)
- Bruce Morris (Sierra Space | Sr. Director, Business Development)
3:45-5:00pm ET | Civil Engineering and Construction on the Moon and Mars
- Moderator: Sam Burbank (Culture in Space Productions | Founder & Filmmaker)
- Melodie Yashar (ICON | VP, Building Design & Performance)
- Dr. Seamus T. Tuohy (MDA | Sr. Director, Business Development, Robotics & Space Ops)
- Mark W. Hilburger, Ph.D. (NASA | Principal Technologist for Structures and Materials, Space Technology Mission Directorate)
- Sam Ximenes (XArc Exploration Architecture Corporation | Founder and CEO)
Session 2 | ROOM 125 | Human Factors and Systems
2:00-3:15pm ET | Vital Systems: Life Support on the Moon and Mars
- Moderator: Rachel LaDue (Collins Aerospace | Senior Business Development Manager)
- Grant Anderson (Paragon Space Development Corp. | President & CEO)
- Phoebe Henson (Honeywell | Senior Advanced Systems Engineer - Human Space R&D)
- Robert Richter (Sierra Space | Director of Environmental Systems)
- Anna Kallay (Lockheed Martin | Mechanical Engineer Senior Manager)
3:45-5:00pm ET | Maintaining Human Health During Mars Missions
- Moderator: Dr. Sheyna Gifford (Preventive and Occupational Medicine, Medical Operations | Disability Rights and Inclusion in Aerospace)
- Dr. Kevin Duda (Draper Labs | Program Manager, Space Systems)
- Amanda Lippert (United States Navy | Aerospace and Operational Physiologist, Medical Service Corps Officer)
- Erik Antonsen (Baylor College of Medicine | Associate Professor of Space Medicine, Center for Space Medicine)
- Elizabeth Reynolds (Starburst | Managing Director, USA)
Session 3 | ROOM 120 | Preparing Space For ALL
2:00-3:30pm ET | Planning for Space: Co-creating an Analog Station, a Workshop
- Co-Leader: Britt Duffy Adkins (Celestial Citizen | Founder, Space Urban Planner)
- Co-Leader: Melodie Yashar (ICON | VP, Building Design & Performance)
3:45-5:00pm ET | Trades in Space: A Discussion of the Need for Skilled Workers to Prepare for Mars.
- Moderator: Tim Cichan (Lockheed Martin | Chief Architect of Commercial Civil Space)
- Mark Aldaba (Aerojet Rocketdyne | Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Sr.)
- Dan Zapata (Jacobs | Crawler Transporter Engineer/Driver)
- Rebekah Tolatovicz (Lockheed Martin | Orion Artemis III/IV Mechanical Assembly Tech)
- Jason Dickerson (NASA | Aerospace engineer and transportation engineer, Pegasus barge systems)
5:00-5:40PM ET | Draft Plan for a Sustainable Future for Science at Mars
- Eric Ianson (NASA | Deputy Director, Planetary Science Division; Director, Mars Exploration Program)
May 18, 2023 | Day 3
Expanding What’s Possible
7:45-8:30am ET | Registration/Coffee and Danish
8:30-8:40am ET | Welcome to Day 3 of the 2023 Humans to Mars Summit
- Janet Ivey (Explore Mars, Inc. | President)
- Chris Carberry (Explore Mars, Inc. | CEO)
8:40-9:00am ET | Infusing Science Objectives into Moon and Mars Human Exploration
- Dr. G Scott Hubbard (NASA Ames, former Center Director | Stanford University, Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics)
9:00-9:20am ET | Architecture Systems Analysis Approach for Human Mars Missions
- Dr. Patrick R. Chai (NASA | ESDMD Strategy & Architecture Office, Mars In-Space Transportation Lead)
9:20-10:10am ET | Not So Hidden Figures: Extraordinary individuals ensuring an inclusive and diverse future in space
- Moderator: Kim Macharia (Space Prize Foundation | Executive Director)
- Vanessa Wyche (NASA | Director, Johnson Space Center)
- Dr. Sian Proctor (Inspiration4 | Astronaut & Mission Pilot with SpaceX)
- Quincy K. Brown, Ph.D. (National Space Council | Director of Space STEM and Workforce Policy National Space Council)
10:10-10:30am ET | Entry, Descent, and Landing: Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID)
- Dr. F. McNeil (Neil) Cheatwood (NASA | Senior Technologist for Planetary Entry, Descent, and Landing)
10:30-11:00am ET | Break
11:00-11:50am ET | The Business of Mars: Is there now a business case for Mars technology?
- Moderator: Lee Steinke (CisLunar Industries | COO; Interim COO, Orbit Fab)
- Tiffany Vora (Singularity University | Faculty & Vice Chair, Digital Biology & Medicine)
- Eduardo Diaz Ph.D. (AdvancingX | Founder & CEO)
- Michael Mealing (Starbridge Venture Capital | General Partner)
- Ramon Blanco Maceiras (AVS | US Head of Space at AVS Added Value Solutions)
11:50-12:30pm ET | First Commercial Robotic Mission to Mars
- Moderator: Natalia Larrea Brito (Euroconsult | Director Euroconsult US)
- Barry Matsumori (Impulse Space | Chief Operating Officer)
- Josh Brost (Relativity Space | Senior Vice President Of Revenue Operations)
12:30-2:00pm ET | Lunch break
2:00-2:20pm ET | SPACE URBAN PLANNING: ADDRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE KNOWLEDGE GAPS FOR SUSTAINED HUMAN SETTLEMENT ON THE LUNAR AND MARTIAN SURFACES
- Britt Duffy Adkins (Celestial Citizen | Founder, Space Urban Planner)
2:20-3:10pm ET | Getting STEAM-ed for Mars
- Moderator: Janet Ivey (Explore Mars, Inc. | President)
- Julia Brodsky (Art of Inquiry and Earthlings Hub | Founder and Executive Director, STEM Educator)
- Kim Macharia (Space Prize Foundation | Executive Director)
- Christine Hirst Bernhardt (Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow '21; Astronomy/STEM Educator)
- Lee Giat (Passage and Flying Ostrich Media | Providing Aid in Science for South America's General Education)
3:10-3:30pm ET | Break
3:30-4:00pm ET | Producing Food in Space for the Benefit of Earth
- Moderator:Tiffany Vora (Singularity University | Faculty & Vice Chair, Digital Biology & Medicine)
- Arttu Luukanen (Solar Foods | Senior Vice President, Space & Defence)
- Daniel Tompkins (GrowMars | Founder, Agricultural Scientist)
4:00-4:50pm ET | Entertainment Industry in Space: From Star Trek to Space Reality
- Moderator: Amy Imhoff (Explore Mars, Inc. | Director of Strategic Partnerships and Outreach)
- Melissa Navia (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Lieutenant Erica Ortegas, Pilot, USS Enterprise NCC 1701)
- Adeena Mignogna (Northrop Grumman Corporation | Systems & Software Engineer | Science Fiction Author | STEM Speaker)
- Summer Ash (National Radio Astronomy Observatory | STEAM Education Manager; Astrophysicist; Science Communicator)
- Robert Feierbach (HELIOS film | Executive Producer)
- Lucila Rosines (Kelsey Seybold Clinics | Pediatric Radiologist/Science Consultant)
4:50-5:30pm ET | Mars Can Unite the World
- Melissa Navia (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Lieutenant Erica Ortegas, Pilot, USS Enterprise NCC 1701)
- Mat Kaplan (The Planetary Society | Senior Communications Adviser)
- Beth Mund (Casual Space | Host)
- Dr. Sian Proctor (Inspiration4 | Astronaut & Mission Pilot with SpaceX)
- Ana Cristina Olvera (Stellar Access | Director of Digital Marketing and Communications)
- Justin Park (Intergalactic Education | President)
- Chris Carberry (Explore Mars, Inc. | CEO)
SPEAKERS
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